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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · cue · pitcher · chair · pound · key · stock · current

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. key — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. content — happy
  9. current — of water
  10. stock — shares
  11. current — happening now
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cue — a signal
  15. current — electric
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cue — for pool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stock — goods
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com